One of the greatest things I have enjoyed since starting this blog over a year and change ago has been the opportunity to trace back Roberts Stadium's roots and gather the impact this icon has had on the Evansville community and vicinity.
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a lady named Berniece Tirmenstein who invited me over to her house so that she could show me all of the hard work she has put in to researching Roberts Stadium. Indeed, I took her up on her offer to see all of the time and efforts she has put into Roberts Stadium.
For those who don't know Berniece, words cannot express the hard work, dedication, and determination she has put into Roberts Stadium and the Evansville community as a whole. Berniece says she does not drive anymore as her age prohibits her from being able to get out, and she doesn't have the internet to research things on a whim like so many of us have grown accustom to. Even with these disadvantages, Berniece still manages to make every single Evansville City Council meeting (they have nicknamed her, "The Terminator.") and she managed to make it to Central Library multiple times to gather the entire history on Wesselman Park, The Wesselman Park Nature Center, and Roberts Stadium.
As I arrived at her house, you could tell Berniece was determined to save Roberts Stadium as she proudly displayed the yard sign outside of her house...
When I sat down with Berniece at her kitchen table, I was stunned, amazed, and impressed with the amount of paperwork Berniece had done on Roberts Stadium and Wesselman Park...
In case you are feeling letdown from last week's election, I am going to publish all three of Berniece's research documents in this post. Why? For several reasons..
1. I want you to see that people like Berniece are why we are going to win this battle. We have the greatest people in Evansville like Berniece on our side and we will never be outworked, out hustled, or out played by those who support demolition.
2. Berniece's research proves what I've been saying all along- Roberts Stadium has great value and we really need to sell the idea of Ralph Legeman's fieldhouse design to visitors and tourists.
3. Most, if not all, of those who support demolition have not looked into Roberts Stadium like Berniece has. They could learn a few things or two about the venue they think is worthless.
So with all of that being said, I will know post the documents that Berniece has been giving out at many speeches held at Roberts Stadium and Wesselman Park. Please note, I have typed up all 3 of these documents on Microsoft Word files. If you would like any of them, please email me!
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History of Wesselman Park
Let us go back in time and try to envision how this area
that was once a dense forest with abundant wildlife has become Wesselman Park
and the Nature Center. Settlement of the territory north of the Ohio proceeded
rather slowly. Until 1800, there was no protection of land ownership. That
began to change when William Henry Harrison was appointed governor of Indiana
Territory. Early settlers came down the Ohio on flat boats; others came through
Cumberland Gap into Kentucky.
Land records of 1870 showed there were many small farms and
land holdings with only a few families having large acreage. Among those having
large amount of acres was the Stockwell family. The heavily wooded areas were
transformed into productive farmland by means of very hard work. They had only the
most rudimentary hand tools. Fire was used to burn the wood. You could see huge
fires that burned all night. Today, we would say that this was so destructive,
but how else could agriculture be established?
Through different acquisitions and transfers, William H.
Stockwell acquired a large amount of acreage and held it for 18 years, and his
name was attached to the property in a real way. The forested area became known
as Stockwell Woods. Land was deeded to Mary Strange Stockwell. She experienced
a lot of difficulties in regard to the property. She had to deal with railroad
construction that ran through her property, and eventually she had to relocate.
The steam locomotives often gave out sparks that could set fire to the dry
grass fields or woods. You could see passengers toss out their cigars and pipe
smokers clean out pipes as they rode the railcars. Another source of anxiety
for her came in 1886 when the State of Indiana erected and established a large
hospital for the mentally deranged across the road from her property and about
300 yards from her home. She lived in constant fear that an escapee from the
hospital would come to her house since it was the closest. She felt her
property would decrease in value; she did little to improve her place, had more
forested area cleared. In 1918, due to failing health and being in declining
years, she wrote a will giving all to her daughter. On July 19, 1914, changes
in the “insane hospital” with greater emphasis on agricultural work in the form
of therapy for patients caused the State of Indiana to seek additional land to
be added to the Woodmore Hospital.
In 1918, the Stockwell holding of 559 acres became state
property. “The one acre McCallister family cemetery was saved in perpetuity.”
For about 35 years from 1919 to 1954, the area that had been purchased from the
Stockwell estate saw basically no change. Forest remained untouched. The
cleared land was under cultivation, used for pasture, hayfield, corn, and
vegetable gardens. In 1954, we see a change when then under Mayor H.O Roberts;
the city of Evansville purchased 56.83 acres at the corner of Boeke Road and
Division from the state of Indiana at a cost of $88,086.50 with the expressed
purpose of building a sports arena. Construction began; the noise of bulldozers
sounded as excavation work started. My brother did a lot of the excavating. The
structure was completed in 1956.
Seven years later, the Indiana legislature was meeting in
Indy. A civic minded state senator from Evansville by the name of Albert
Wesselman worked tirelessly to persuade the State of Indiana to make a gift of
the remaining area of what had been the Stockwell estate to the city of
Evansville. This was done with the stipulation that it could be used only for
park purposes. Gov. Matthew Welsh signed the deed on August 5, 1963. It
provided that small areas be served for other needs, namely: 5 acres on
Division Street for an Armory, 10 acres for use by the state hospital on
Stockwell and Division, 5 acres on Boeke Road for Good Samaritan Nursing Home.
Stockwell Woods thereafter, became Wesselman Park.
Albert Wesselman had a vision. He saw it materialize and it
was his hope that the park would always be protected. That is the reason we
gather here in this park that offers such a peaceful atmosphere, closeness to
nature and to our Creator. Let us, as citizens, work tirelessly to save
Wesselman Park, just as tirelessly as Albert Wesselman did to give us this
treasure!
History of the Wesselman Park Nature Center & Visitors
Interpretive Building.
I have given you the history of Wesselman Park. Now too, let
me tell the history of the Nature Center and the Visitors’ Interpretive
Building. The fate of the wooded part of Wesselman Park was in question for a
few years after the city acquired it in 1963. Some fear aroused when a site
plan map was publicized. The map showed a potential 18 hole golf course, the
back 9 holes of which would have taken 1/3rd of the trees in
Wesselman Park. However, the central wooded area was designated on this plan as
a “Nature Center,” although no further mention of its use was made in the text.
Various people in the Parks and Recreation Department along
with concerned citizens saw the need to promote development of the Nature Center,
and the idea of a golf course was gone. Different organizations were contacted
and made aware of the exceptional forest resources in Wesselman Park and its
potential as an ideal outdoor recreational area. The Junior League, an
organization that liked to do constructive work in the community, financed a
survey. Reports showed many potential activities such as guided school groups
and tours.
The city budget was tight. Park District bonds were
exhausted; financing became a problem. Responding, the Junior League began a
full scale community fund drive in 1970 with a goal of $160,000 for
construction for the last major and most important capital improvement on the
area- a Visitor’s Center. The Junior League donated $30,000 to kick off the
campaign with local support following. A year later, the park got a matching grant.
Ground breaking was in January of 1972. The map site specified the removal of
only one large tree. The building was dedicated and officially opened in
January of 1973.
History of Roberts Stadium
By studying past history given to me by Dr. James Morelock
in his writings, I was able to learn who the architect for Roberts Stadium was.
It was Ralph Early Legeman. Wanting to know more about his life and his
architectural career, I contacted Central Library. There, a helpful librarian
did research and passed on so much helpful information.
Mr. Legeman was born in Evansville, Indiana on July 2, 1904.
He entered architectural practice in 1926 at age 22. He was associated with
different partnerships, and in 1940, he operated under the name of Legeman and
Associates. Earlier focus of his work was of a general nature but he became
more interested in school architecture in 1946. For years, his firm specialized
in design of schools more than 300 miles from Evansville. In the construction,
his design was of a sprawling type of one-story schools. He incorporated it in
the design of North High School. Among other schools in Evansville that he
designed were Thompkins, Perry Heights, Glenwood, Dexter, and Harper Elementary
Schools.
Besides schools, his architectural design extended to
include churches such as Methodist Temple at Lincoln and Kelsey. Dr. Morelock
wrote in The Evansville Story that “The architect, the beauty, simplicity, and
functional character of the sanctuary in the modern design won widespread
recognition and acclaim.” St. Johns (U.C. of C) Church, both downtown and east
side, was designed by Mr. Legeman as well. More than four banks bear his mark
as well. Other buildings designed by Legeman were Kley Zoological Building and
the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Evansville, one office building in Princeton,
Indiana, and one in Morganfield, Kentucky.
In the early 1950s, school officials came to Mr. Legeman
asking him to build for them gyms with large capacity for crowds and to do it
with low costs. They said there was a demand for big gyms to hold basketball
spectators, but they had no money to meet increases in costs. Costs for labor
and materials had risen 75% since 1939. Already, Mr. Legeman and his staff were
working on ways to have substitutes in conventional materials. Even this did
not produce gyms within financial of those wanting them to have a large
capacity.
Ideas came to Mr. Legeman. Then, one night when he couldn’t
sleep, he crawled out of his bed and sat down at his desk. Many different ideas
came to mind, and he put them down on paper. Next morning, he asked each of his
staff to work on the plan he had started that sleepless night. Within a few
days, all of his staff knew of the new concept and knew how to turn out new
designs of the completely new kind of gym.
Mr. Legeman had conceived of an idea with the playing
surface underground and the roof supported by pin-type steel trusses. Few
people could see the value of the new idea from just looking at the drawings.
They began to look at what they were getting rather than cost containment.
Then, a Herrin, Illinois school official and formerly a civic engineer grasped
the idea. A gym was badly needed there and the school board was persuaded to
let this new gym be a “guinea pig.” It would reduce costs by 50-55%. “Mr.
Legeman felt everything had worked as planned. So did other communities.” Once
the University of Illinois approved the idea/plan, several other cities were
satisfied and placed orders for gyms of similar design.
Meanwhile, Mr. Legeman applied for a patent. Eight years
after applying, he was granted a patent- U.S Patent No. 2,761,181 for
gymnasiums and arena type structures. Twenty-seven high school and college
gymnasiums and physical plants throughout the Midwest have been designed and
construction completed under this patent granted in 1956. A typical example was
Roberts Municipal Stadium. First step in the installation of Mr. Legeman’s gyms
was to dig out an area large enough and deep enough to hold most of the structure.
The dirt excavated was to be used for a fill on the outside. The playing floor
is laid on a concrete base on the ground. Bleachers are concrete and are built
directly on the sloping dirt sides of the excavation. Legeman commented by
having this, it saved on costs, but it was also safer. There couldn’t possibly
be a collapse- there’s no place to fall; no steel work to hold the seats up.
The bleachers just rest on the ground. Spectators enter the gym from the
outside ground level to a platform that circles the top of the bleachers.
Spectators who came first can get front seats by walking down and never have to
be disturbed by late-comers. Late-comers
come in and sit down, while those standing remain on the platform in the back.
No one has to walk anywhere near the playing surface which pleases custodians
and coaches. In case of an emergency, everyone goes up to get out, eliminating
panic in a mad rush to get out. Mr. Legeman further stated, “The ideas are what
I’m applying for patent on, not the design.” The tops of Legeman’s gyms are
supported by steel trusses which are used in a bridge-like construction.
Spectators are seated up to where the trusses join the abatements. There are no
steel rafters to take up space above the playing surface. Fans have no posts to
block their view.
Superintendents of schools were especially interested in the
safety features in getting spectators in and out quickly. Safety was on the
mind of Mr. Legeman as he designed this type of gyms and in the design of the
one-story school construction.
James Morelock in his book, The Evansville Story, written in
1956, stated:
“The greatest increase in the athletic events called for the
development of a sports center. Sponsored as a civic project by the
administration of Mayor H. O Roberts, a choice location was obtained by the
purchase of state property at Boeke and Division. Plans were drawn up by architect
Ralph Legeman, and the construction work was started in 1954. Completion was
expected in 1956 with a total cost, including the parking lot, of $2,000,000.”
Elsewhere in James Morelock’s writings in 1954, “The city of
Evansville purchased 56.83 acres at a cost of $88,086.50.”
According to Harold B. Morgan, author of the book, Home Town
History The Evansville, Indiana Area: A Photo Timeline, the steel in the
construction of Roberts Stadium was fabricated and designed by International
Steel here in Evansville. Employees of International Steel were so proud of
their work. The first event in the newly completed Roberts Stadium was October
29, 1956 when the Harlem Globetrotters came to Evansville. University of
Evansville basketball players were happy to be playing there where they
formerly played in the Old Armory.
There have been memories by so many- memories of fun,
entertainment, sports events, and graduations in that stadium as well as many
religious gatherings. Then came that memory of the memorial service held there
for the 29 people, including 14 young UE basketball players, a coach and
coaching staff, broadcasters, and friends who lost their lives in that fatal
airplane crash on December 13, 1977. Then on December 18, 1977, 5,000 people
gathered at Roberts Stadium to show their respect and gain some comfort as they
listened to the music of that old hymn, “O God, our help in Ages past, our hope
for years to come, our shelter in the stormy blast and our eternal home.”
In Mr. Morgan’s book, written in 2009, are these words said
of Roberts Stadium- “It has served the tri-state well for 53 years. Its destiny
is under deliberation as these words are written. (Good Luck Roberts Stadium,
you remain a favorite of many).”
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Well said Berniece!
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